Life Coaching description

Get in life’s driving seat. Life coaching is a talking therapy designed to help you set goals and overcome stumbling blocks in your life. A life coach aims to give you a fresh outlook and the tools you need to be successful, creative, in control and to power up that magnetic personality.

How does it work?

When it comes to getting your life in order, it can help to have an outsider’s perspective. Your life coach will teach you how to make positive moves, re-jig your priorities and make sure that the way you spend your time is really making you happy.

Unlike counselling or psychiatry, life coaching is not designed to deal with serious mental health issues and it doesn’t involve airing painful memories; instead, it’s a totally forward-looking, holistic approach – meaning that your coach aims to take stock of all the fragments that make up you and your life and show you ways to gather them together, Humpty-Dumpty style, into a happy and complete person.

Most life coaches work over the telephone, though some coaches offer face-to-face consultations. The actual nuts and bolts of the sessions will be tailored to you and your goals. Most coaches will kick off with an in depth discussion of any problems or challenges you’re facing, identifying your core values, shedding light on your inner strengths and weaknesses, discussing aspects of your general mental attitude and the current status of your day-to-day life.

After you’ve taken a fine-tooth comb through your current situation, your coach will work with you to define your goals and try to pinpoint what you really want from your life, be it a stable, loving relationship, heaps of cash, the chance to work for yourself or even a goal you weren’t aware you were hankering after. Then it’s a case of creating plans, learning how to use psychological tools and problem-solving techniques to achieve your goals. Some life coaches have training in cognitive behavioural techniques, which can help you to fight back against stress, anxiety and negative thought patterns.

Becoming an empowered, super-powered version of yourself takes more than just wearing your pants outside your trousers. While some people can benefit from just a couple of sessions, it’s normal to build a relationship with your coach over a number of weekly sessions, which can last anywhere between 30 to 90 minutes.

Is it for me?

When it comes to getting from A to B on life’s journey, a coach can help. Whether you have a specific problem or you’re just lacking direction, a consultation with a life coach is a chance to learn new ways of living.

Life-coaching is largely about building self-confidence, dealing with difficult times such as career transitions or break-ups. It can also help you to strengthen your personal relationships and learning to overcome problems such as: